Aspiring to be grounded and grateful

Today we had a lovely Easter service at our church, the one I’ve attended for most of my life. My parents actually first met at this church, though they were both working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at that time (mom as a nurse in pediatric oncology, dad as a biomedical engineer). Easter was the day, back in 2013, that I first returned to my home church after the accident. I was in a wheelchair that first visit back, surrounded by unknowns, loss and pain, including excruciating migraines.Though the church and its members were familiar to me that first visit, I couldn’t recall names and had difficulty distinguishing reality from dreams, since both were equally unbelievable. I’ll forever be grateful for the care and services I received, but I sure am glad those days are in the past.

When I couldn’t remember much of the recent past and had no idea what lay ahead, brain injury  taught me the value of being grounded and grateful for the present moment.